Dark matter made visible before the final cuthttp://unclineberger.org/news/dark-matter-made-visible-before-the-final-cut
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Research findings from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine are shining a light on an important regulatory role performed by the so-called dark matter, or “junk DNA,” within each of our genes.The new study reveals snippets of information contained in dark matter that can alter the way a gene is assembled.

“These small sequences of genetic information tell the gene how to splice, either by enhancing the splicing process or inhibiting it. The research opens the door for studying the dark matter of genes. And it helps us further understand how mutations or polymorphisms affect the functions of any gene,” said study senior author, Zefeng Wang, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology in the UNC School of Medicine and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The findings may be viewed in terms of the film industry’s editorial process where snippets of celluloid are spliced, while others end up unused on the proverbial cutting room floor.

Taken from a DNA point of view, not every piece of it in each human gene encodes for a functional protein; only about 10 percent does, in coding regions called “exons.” The other 90 percent of the stuff that fills the intervening regions are longer stretches of dark matter known as “introns.”

But something mysterious happens to introns during the final processing of messenger RNA (mRNA), the genetic blueprint that’s sent from the cell’s nucleus to its protein factory. Only particular exons may be included within the final mRNA produced from that gene, whereas the introns are cut out and destroyed.

It’s therefore easier to understand why more scientific attention has been given to exons. “When people are looking at the genetics of a disease, most of the time they’re looking for the change in the coding sequence,” Wang said. “But 90 percent of the sequence is hidden in the gene’s introns. So when you study gene variants or polymorphisms that cause human disease, you can only explain the part that’s in the exon. Yet the majority remains unexplainable because they’re in the introns.”

Following completion of the genome sequencing projects, subsequent DNA and RNA sequencing revealed the existence of more than one splice variant, or isoform, for 90 percent of human genes. During messenger RNA processing, most human genes are directed to be cut and pasted into different functional isoforms.

In a process called alternative splicing, a single gene could code for multiple proteins with different biological functions. In this way, alternative splicing allows the human genome to direct the synthesis of many more proteins than would be expected from its 20,000 protein-coding genes.

“And those different versions sometimes function differently or in opposite ways,” Wang said. “This is a tightly regulated process, and a great number of human diseases are caused by the ‘misregulation’ of splicing in which the gene was not cut and pasted correctly.”

Wang’s research colleagues identified “intronic splicing regulatory elements.” These essentially recruit protein factors that can either enhance or inhibit the splicing process.

Their discovery was accomplished by inserting an intron into a green fluorescent protein (GFP) “reporter” gene. These introns of the reporter gene carried random DNA sequences. When the reporter is screened and shows green it means that portion of the intron is spliced.

“The default is dark,” so any splicing enhancer or silencer can turn it green,” Wang explains. “In this unbiased way we can recover hundreds of sequences of inhibited or enhanced splicing.”

The study collaborators put together a library of cells that contain the GFP reporter with the random sequence inserted. Thus, when researchers looking at the intron try to determine what a particular snippet of genetic information does and its effect on gene function, they can refer to the splicing regulatory library of enhancers or silencers.

“So it turns out that the sequencing element in both exons and introns can regulate the splicing process, Wang says. “We call it the splicing code, which is the information that tells the cell to splice one way or the other. And now we can look at these variant DNA sequences in the intron to see if they really affect splicing, or change the coding pattern of the exon and, as a result, protein function.”

Collaborators in this study with Zefeng Wang are Yang Wang in the department of pharmacology and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; Meng Ma, Anhui University, Hefei, China; and Xinshu Xiao, University of California, Los Angeles.

Support for the research comes from the American Heart Association and the National Cancer Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health.]]>No publishernews20132013/01/07 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemCarey highlighted in Society for Translational Oncology's journal http://unclineberger.org/news/lisa-carey-interview-in-the-oncologist
Dr. Carey talks about the importance of cancer research and her new role as Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Physician-in-Chief of the N.C. Cancer Hospital. Lisa Carey, MD, was appointed Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief of the N.C. Cancer Hospital in September. She is Richardson and Marilyn Jacobs Preyer Distinguished Professor in Breast Cancer Research, Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of the UNC Breast Center, and Associate Director for Clinical Research at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"The Oncologist" is the official journal of the Society for Translational Oncology.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/27 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemN.E.D. featured in The New York Times' health and science bloghttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/NED-in-ny-times-blog
N.E.D. - a rock band comprised of gynecologic oncology physicians - was featured in the New York Times' health and science blog. Titled "Living With Cancer: Dancing With N.E.D.," the December 20, 2012 blog post, written by Susan Gubar, talks about the band's mission “to break through the silence of women’s gynecological cancer.”

Band members – who include UNC’s own John Boggess, MD, and John Soper, MD, are all gynecologic oncologists, and they rock out to raise awareness about the cancers they treat.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/27 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemNeil Hayes: A pragmatic physician/scientisthttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/neil-hayes-a-pragmatic-physician-scientist
For Dr. Neil Hayes “the best part of being a scientist is the people. Here at UNC, it’s the leadership we have for the cancer center in clinical fields, the wonderful scientists across the country who we collaborate with, and our patients.”A pragmatic physician/scientist, Dr. Hayes explains, “In the lab, the first thing we try to do is identify problems that are relevant for large numbers of patients or problems for particular patients that look as though they might have a potential solution. The lab work is very informed by the relevance that I bring home from patient care every week.”

“I found myself connecting with the head and neck cancer patients. This cancer is challenging, and UNC has a great team led by Dr. Mark Weissler, one of my surgical mentors and a great doctor. “

Dr. Hayes is also involved in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a scientific network funded by the National Institutes of Health. Scientific teams, including UNC’s, have recently reported new molecular analyses of several tumor types, including breast, lung and colon cancers. Their findings will shape current and future cancer therapy.

Dr. Hayes believes that one key to UNC’s successful grant application to become part of TCGA was the University Cancer Research Fund. “UCRF is filling a critical niche for us at UNC. We’ve got great scientists, we’ve got great minds, but no matter how great your science is, there are very few opportunities to build infrastructure of science: the technology that allows us to ask questions with the newest tools.”

“There are not many ways to do that unless you have institutional support. One of the institutions we can turn to is the citizens of the state of North Carolina through our government. We’ve asked if cancer research is important to North Carolina, and the citizens in our legislatures have said that cancer research is important for many reasons, and they’ve supported it. We feel a sacred trust to return on that investment.”

Dr. Hayes describes why he decided to complete a Masters in Public Health. “In medical school where I got exposed to epidemiology and statistics related to translational medicine and patient care, I saw how I could bring these things closer together. I could determine if the research I did was relevant because I was doing research on patients and patient questions using scientific techniques and that led me to do some extra training and get my MPH. “

Dr. Hayes chose to join the UNC faculty in 2004. “I’m from North Carolina, so that was a draw. What’s special about UNC is it’s one of the few places where you have everything you need in terms of working environment and facilities, and there is wiggle room for you to establish yourself in a niche and develop your own career. It’s a really unique place.”

And of his clinical practice, he says, “There are so many rewarding aspects of being a physician, but I certainly like the fact that at the end of the week I almost always feel like something that I did was relevant and made a difference to somebody, and that’s very rewarding.”

Dr. Hayes is a Davidson graduate, a UNC School of Medicine graduate and completed a Masters in Public Health at Harvard University, an internship at Boston University School of Medicine, a clinical fellowship at Tufts University Medical Center and a postdoctoral fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Dr. Hayes and his wife, Dr. Liza Makowski, an assistant professor of nutrition in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and member of UNC Lineberger, have two sons and live in Chapel Hill.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/17 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemCaregiver support group featured on ABC 11http://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/caregiver-support
ABC 11 recently featured the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program's Caregiver Support Group.

The segment, which aired December 13, 2012, highlighted "Caregiver Conversations," a support group for caregivers of cancer patients that meets twice a month. It is a time for caregivers to meet and share stories through planned topics and social activities.

Ryan Keith and Kathy Roundtree discussed the benefits of having this kind of support available.

"Caregiver Conversations" meets the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month in the Patient and Family Resource Center at the N.C. Cancer Hospital.

For more information, call the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program at 919-966-3494.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/14 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemRibisl to lead UNC Lineberger Cancer Prevention and Control Programhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/ribisl-to-lead-unc-lineberger-cancer-prevention-and-control-program
Kurt Ribisl, PhD, has been appointed to lead the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program’s forty-five faculty from across the UNC Chapel Hill campus design and implement research strategies to prevent cancer, improve early detection, and ease the burden of cancer on patients and their families. Faculty research emphasizes investigation and intervention at multiple levels, including the population, community, organizational, and individual levels. Areas of focus include behavior change intervention, tobacco control, obesity prevention and control, screening promotion, cancer survivorship, cancer outcomes, health care decision-making, cancer communication, and community-based participatory research.

As program leader, Dr. Ribisl will coordinate program member effort and related Cancer Center resources that facilitate faculty research. He will work with Dr. Andy Olshan, the UNC Lineberger Associate Director for Population Sciences, and other Cancer Center senior leaders to understand all aspects of the cancer program in North Carolina and to develop novel cancer prevention, early detection, and survivorship research efforts as part of the larger UNC Lineberger mission.

Shelley Earp, MD, director of UNC Lineberger and UNC Cancer Care, said, “Dr. Ribisl has built a nationally-recognized program focused on tobacco control policy and product regulation and innovative applications of information technology for discouraging tobacco use. His well-funded research program supports novel interventions in the State and has been a magnet for graduate students in the School of Public Health. The impact of his work, particularly projects aimed at preventing youth smoking, has been felt nationally. He is an outstanding researcher with a collaborative style and will be a great asset to both the Cancer Center and the outstanding faculty members who make up his Program.”

Dr. Ribisl was co-recruited by UNC Lineberger and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in 1999. He now holds the rank of professor in the Department of Health Behavior. Since 2004, he has served as the Director of the UNC Coordinating Center for the CDC- and NCI-funded Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, which includes over 180 investigators and staff at 10 leading universities. He is a federally appointed member of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Association and serves as principal investigator on numerous grants from the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

He earned an undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and an MA and PhD at Michigan State University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/13 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemNorman E. Sharpless appointed Deputy Director of UNC Linebergerhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/sharpless-appointed-deputy-director
Chapel Hill, NC – Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, MD, has been appointed Deputy Director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Sharpless is the Wellcome Distinguished Professor in Cancer Research, professor of medicine and genetics. “Ned Sharpless is one of the most accomplished physician-scientists in America. He has repeatedly published groundbreaking translational science in the world’s top journals and, as a result, has attracted numerous large federal and foundation grants, making him one of UNC’s top funded researchers,” said Shelley Earp, MD, Director of UNC Lineberger and UNC Cancer Care.

“His scientific accomplishments are matched by his outstanding mastery of clinical medicine, molecular genetics and animal modeling, as well as his passion for making life better for cancer patients. In addition, he is a scientific entrepreneur and one of UNC’s most sought-after teachers and mentors,” Earp added.

In his new role, Dr. Sharpless will be responsible for guiding the Center’s scientific agenda across the basic, clinical and population sciences. He will also lead the strategic planning process setting the direction for the 2014-2020 time frame, in preparation for the Center’s 2015 NCI grant renewal. His previous role at the cancer center was Associate Director for Translational Research.

Dr. Sharpless, a Greensboro native, was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina where he studied mathematics as an undergraduate. He graduated with honors and distinction from the UNC School of Medicine, followed by internal medicine training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He completed his hematology and oncology training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, also at Harvard Medical School. After finishing his clinical training, Dr. Sharpless completed a research postdoctoral fellowship at the Dana-Farber, prior to joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School in 2000. Dr. Sharpless returned to UNC in 2002.

In addition to his clinical work as a physician, Dr. Sharpless runs a 17 person basic science laboratory that studies cancer and aging. He is co-leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, co-founder and co-director of the UNC Mouse Phase I Unit, and Associate Director of the UNC Center for Aging and Health. He has authored more than 100 original reports, reviews and book chapters, and is an inventor of 10 patents.

His lab has received support from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research; the American Federation of Aging Research; the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation; the Golfers Against Cancer Foundation; the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; the Paul Glenn Foundation; and the Ellison Medical Foundation. He is supported by a Clinical Scientist in Translational Research Award from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. He is on the scientific advisory board of several scientific foundations and is an associate editor of Aging Cell and Impact Aging, and is the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. He was the 2007 recipient of the Jefferson Pilot Award, the 2009 recipient of the Hettleman Prize for Scholarly Achievement, a 2010 recipient of a Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging, a 2012 Triangle Business Journal Health Care Hero, and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the nation’s oldest honor society for physician-scientists. He has been elected to serve on the ASCI council from 2011 to 2014.

]]>No publishernews20122012/12/05 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemResearch reveals new understanding of X chromosome inactivationhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/x-chromosome-inactivation
Chapel Hill, NC – In a paper published in the Nov. 21 issue of Cell, a team led by Mauro Calabrese, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina in the lab of Terry Magnuson, chair of the department of genetics and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, broadens the understanding of how cells regulate silencing of the X chromosome in a process known as X-inactivation.“This is a classic example of a basic research discovery. X-inactivation is a flagship model for understanding how non-coding RNAs orchestrate large-scale control of gene expression. In the simplest terms, we are trying to understand how cells regulate expression of their genes. Our findings are relevant across the board -- by understanding how normal cells function we can apply that knowledge to similar situations in the understanding and treatment of disease,” said Calabrese.

Proper regulation of the X chromosome plays a crucial role in mammalian development. Females inherit a pair of X chromosomes from their parents, and the process of X-inactivation shuts down one of these two Xs.

“Males have XY. Females have two Xs. One of those Xs needs to get shut off. If it does not, it’s not compatible with life. It’s how we have evolved to equalize doses between males and females,” said Calabrese.

While the manner in which the X chromosome is deactivated has been actively studied for 50 years, the exact mechanisms that regulate the process remain a mystery. Calabrese’s research used high-throughput sequencing to determine the location and activity of chromosomes with far greater accuracy than previous research.

“Basically, this is using the sequencing technology as a high resolution microscope,” said Calabrese.

Under a microscope, the inactive X chromosome (Xi) appears as a cloud-like structure, because it is covered with a non-coding RNA known as Xist. In the traditional model of X-inactivation, genes located inside the cloud are completely silenced, with 15 percent of the genes from the inactive X chromosomes escaping to become active.

“The prevailing thought was that genes that escaped X inactivation were pulled out of the core and expressed out there,” said Calabrese.

The work of Calabrese’s team complicates the current model of X-inactivation by finding indications of gene activity inside the Xist cloud and the presence of inactive genes outside the cloud, both of which would not have been thought possible in the prevailing model.

“It’s kind of a subtle thing, but mechanistically it is a big difference,” said Calabrese.

Inside the Xist cloud, sequencing discovered traces of DNase I sensitivity, a feature usually linked to transcription activity. While other markers associated with transcription were absent, the presence of DNase I sensitivity suggested that the nucleus did recognize the inactive X as usable DNA, but an unknown suppressive mechanism was preventing genes from being activated.

“We were surprised to see that. If they were totally silent, you would expect this to be not there… This suggests that transcription factors or other proteins that bind DNA are still accessing the inactive X,” said Calabrese.

The other surprising findings involve the 15 percent of “escaper” genes from the inactive X. Calabrese found evidence that active genes were found both inside and outside the Xist cloud, and that silenced genes that lay alongside active genes outside of the Xist cloud remained inactive.

“If X-inactivation was a strict nuclear barrier, then pulling a gene outside the barrier would turn it on, but it has got to be more than that because when an inactivated gene that is beside an escaper is outside this domain, it is still turned off,” said Calabrese.

The presence of DNase I sensitivity within the Xist cloud and the finding of inactive genes outside of the cloud suggest that a site-specific mechanism is regulating genes on the chromosome in a more subtle way than the binary “on/off” function posited by the prevailing model. The exact mechanism for this remains unknown. Although Calabrese believes that Xist still plays a role, its exact function and whether other factors influence X-inactivation remain questions for future research.

“We know that Xist is required to turn off the inactive X. We know that. We have no idea how” said Calabrese.

Beyond revising the understanding of how X-inactivation works, Calabrese said that deeper understanding of the function of Xist could reveal more about the role of other non-coding RNAs in cellular development. These RNAs could become useful targets for future therapies and drug development.

“We know that too much expression of the wrong non-coding RNAs can lead to cancer. Also, forced expression of other non-coding RNAs can prevent cancer. Generally, we do not know how these RNAs work,” said Calabrese.

]]>No publishernews20122012/11/26 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemEthan Basch joins UNC Lineberger to lead cancer outcomes research programhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/basch-leads-cancer-outcomes-research-program
Chapel Hill, NC – Ethan Basch, MD, has joined the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Basch will be an associate professor of medicine and director of the cancer outcomes research program. Basch comes to UNC from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where he was an attending physician at Memorial Hospital and an associate professor of public health at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Basch is a medical oncologist and health services researcher. His clinical expertise is prostate cancer, and his research expertise includes patient-reported outcomes, drug regulatory policy, and comparative effectiveness research.

Basch said, “I am excited to join an accomplished and dynamic group of cancer outcomes researchers at UNC, and to help further develop a world class research program here.”

“In addition to being an outstanding addition to our urologic oncology program, Dr. Basch’s focus on improving how we measure patient outcomes in clinical trials and in the practice of cancer care reflects UNC’s commitment to continuously assessing how we treat patients and moving the field forward,” said Lisa A. Carey, MD, associate director of clinical research at UNC Lineberger and physician-in-chief of the N.C. Cancer Hospital.

Shelley Earp, MD, director of UNC Lineberger, said, “We are thrilled to have Dr. Basch bring his national leadership in outcomes research to UNC, joining a team that spans multiple schools, colleges, and disciplines with the goal of discovering what really works in cancer care through comparative effectiveness research. His expertise in the effort to inform health care decisions, and particularly in integrating the patient perspective, brings additional depth to an already strong team.”

Basch is a federally appointed member of the Methodology Committee of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL), Co-Chair of the Health Outcomes Committee of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute. He leads an ongoing NCI initiative to develop a patient-reported adverse event monitoring system for use in clinical research (the “PRO-CTCAE”), and is study chair for multiple trials employing patient-reported endpoints.

He earned an undergraduate degree at Brown University and a M.Phil. at Oxford University. He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellowship in Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

]]>No publishernews20122012/11/19 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemSupport Week honors and serves patients and caregivershttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/supportweek2012
The 2012 Comprehensive Cancer Support Program Support Week was a huge success. Hundreds of patients and caregivers learned about and participated in activities highlighting the many support services of the Comprehensive Support Program during CCSP Support Week 2012.Organized by CCSP staff, the week’s activities recognized the 60th anniversary of UNC Health Care.

Monday’s Family Coffee offered a moment to enjoy a delicious hot breakfast and to spend some time talking with CCSP staff and other patients and families.

The daily gas card raffle awarded cards to five lucky winners.

On Tuesday, Raleigh attorney Juan Flores’ talk titled, “The Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Social Security and Disability,” offered practical information and help. Flores worked with the Social Security Administration before going into legal practice.

A yoga meditation session held in the chapel provided patients, family members, volunteers and staff a refreshing moment.

The “Little Caregivers” session brought handcrafted pillows and blankets by longtime volunteer Ulla Blab, handmade pillowcases by ConKerr Cancer, and fun novelty items for young patients with cancer to select as a gift for their brothers or sisters at home.

Wednesday was Remembrance Day with a labyrinth walk and a time for family members to add leaves to the Remembrance Tree.

On Thursday, a variety of activities were offered. Led by social workers, Mary Cromer and Mary Ann Bradshaw, the “Managing the Cost of Cancer” discussion focused on the financial management of cancer and how to cope with its expenses.

The week ended with the second annual N.C. Cancer Hospital Thanksgiving Luncheon. Organized by Tina Shaban, coordinator of the Patient and Family Resource Center, participants were treated to a traditional thanksgiving meal prepared by UNC Hospitals Food Services. A blessing of the hands was led by oncology chaplain Patricia Cadle.

Lisa Carey, MD, Physician-in-Chief, N.C. Cancer Hospital, said, “Our nurses and staff are compassionate professionals who care deeply for and about our patients and their families. With such an exemplary group, it’s always difficult to decide on recipients for these awards, and we are grateful for the standard of care practiced not only by those honored, but by everyone at the N.C. Cancer Hospital.”

Tammy Allred, RN, OCN, is the Oncology Nurse Navigator for the Thoracic and Sarcoma Programs. She has worked with UNC cancer programs for 11 years. A nominator notes, “Tammy gives her all in whatever she does. She is the type of nurse and person you want to care for you when you are sick.” Another nominator writes, “She dedicates many volunteer hours to the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership that works to educate and de-stigmatize lung cancer and also support research in lung cancer.“

Paula Stinson, RN, BSN, CPON, CHTC, is the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Nurse Coordinator who has been at UNC for seven years. One of her nominators called her “a transplant nurse coordinator to emulate,” stating that “Paula exemplifies what a nurse should be: knowledgeable, approachable, efficient, consistently striving for excellence in her role and is an expert in her field,” while another described her as “an educator and cheerleader for pediatric transplant recipients as they are admitted and transition into inpatient care.”

Jennifer Byrd is an Oncology Patient Coordinator who has worked at UNC for four and a half years. Her nominator states, “Jennifer consistently learns what’s special about the people she greets in the Infusion Center and they are just that to her: people- not patients. How lucky we are to call her ours.”

Frank Simpson is a Medical Support Assistant for several cancer outpatient clinics who has worked at UNC for eight years. His nominator describes him as “pivotal,” and “forward looking, working toward innovation in the clinics.” She adds, “All the clinics that he supports feel that he is part of their team. He is where the university and the hospital meet to make this a great service line.”

Shelley Earp, MD, Director of UNC Lineberger and UNC Cancer Care, said, “These awards recognize the best of the best. UNC is known for its personalized care, and this year’s winners exemplify what we strive to offer patients and families facing cancer.”

Tammy Allred and Frank Simpson were unable to attend the recognition ceremony but awards were accepted for them on their behalf.

Winners of the Excellence Awards receive a $1500.00 stipend for professional education activities. The Oncology Nursing Excellence Award is presented in memory of Charmayne S. Gray, an outstanding oncology nurse who died in an auto accident in 2002. The Clinical Services Excellence Awards have been awarded for the past eight years.

]]>No publishernews20122012/11/14 15:30:00 GMT-4News ItemLilly Oncology on Canvas Art Exhibit on display in the N.C. Cancer Hospital Lobby November 7-21, 2012http://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/lilly-oncology-on-canvas
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is hosting the Lilly Oncology on Canvas Exhibition in the lobby of the N.C. Cancer Hospital.From November 7-21, 2012, visitors will be able to see artwork from the 2010 competition currently touring hospitals, cancer centers and patient advocacy group events.

Ian Buchanan, MD, MPH, Associate Vice President for UNC Health Care Oncology Service Line, said, “We’re glad that our patients and families will have the chance to view this powerful exhibit. We hope they will draw hope and inspiration for their own cancer journey from the artwork.”

In 2004, Lilly Oncology created Lilly Oncology On Canvas to help people affected by cancer cope with the emotional side of the disease.

This biennial competition, presented by Lilly Oncology and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), invites people from the United States and Puerto Rico who were diagnosed with any type of cancer - as well as their families, friends, caregivers and healthcare providers - to express, through art and narrative, the life-affirming changes that give their cancer journeys meaning.

]]>No publishernews20122012/11/07 01:00:00 GMT-4News ItemNew resource for single fathers due to cancerhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/new-website-for-single-fathers-due-to-cancer
A new website for Single Fathers Due to Cancer has been launched as a way to help fathers more easily find resources and support.The website includes common experiences of these bereaved husbands and fathers, resources to support their children, and helpful organizations and resource information.

Justin Yopp, PhD, program coordinator for Single Fathers Due to Cancer, explains, "Each year, thousands of men mourn the loss of their wives to cancer while adjusting to their new role as sole parents. At the same time that they are struggling with their own grief, they are also trying to shepherd their children through this difficult time. Remarkably, there are very few resources available for this population of fathers."

“For these reasons, we feel it is imperative to learn about their experiences and offer targeted interventions to facilitate their adjustment. We recently launched a new website (http://www.singlefathersduetocancer.org) to help these fathers through this difficult time.”

“The site also includes a research survey that fathers are invited to complete so that we can learn more about their coping and adjustment needs."

Results from the UNC Institutional Review Board-approved study will help program faculty develop interventions to lessen the burden of future generations of fathers and their children.

The Single Fathers Due to Cancer Program includes a monthly support group for fathers and their children. Donald Rosenstein, MD, director of the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program, co- leads the support group and the Single Fathers Program.

]]>No publishernews20122012/11/02 00:00:00 GMT-4News ItemUNC physician elected to board of directors for American Society for Radiation Oncologyhttp://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/marks-elected-to-ASTRO-board
Lawrence B. Marks, MD, has been elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). He will serve as Vice Chairman of the Clinical Affairs and Quality Council. This Council promotes patient care through practice guidelines, clinical expertise and a focus on quality and safety.

Dr. Marks is the Dr. Sidney K. Simon Distinguished Professor of Oncology Research Professor and Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology in the UNC School of Medicine.

Regarded as one of the country’s top breast cancer specialists, Marks’ clinical and research interests include three-dimensional and conformal radiation treatment planning, breast cancer and lung cancer.

He was the physician leader of a national team of experts who reviewed available studies and established new guidelines for the safe treatment of cancer with radiation therapy, and served as co-editor of the report that appeared in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Marks earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Cooper Union School of Engineering. He earned his medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and completed his residency training in radiation oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He came to UNC in 2008 from Duke where he had served on the faculty since 1989.

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy.

]]>No publishernews20122012/10/31 00:00:00 GMT-4News ItemCaregiver Conversations: support for caregivers http://unclineberger.org/news/2012-news/caregiver-conversations
Look at a typical directory of cancer support groups and you’ll find listings for cancer types, survivorship, and coping. But not too many lists include groups for caregivers.The UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program offers a twice-monthly group for caregivers. Kathy Roundtree, LCSW, is one of the group facilitators. “Caregiver support is important because patients depend so much on the assistance and support provided by caregivers. Caregivers often take responsibility for assisting with medical tasks, keeping up with insurance and medical information, providing transportation, keeping the household going, and helping the children if there are children at home. This extra burden can be rewarding, but it is also demanding.”

Ryan Keith, a caregiver for his wife, Jane, through two cancer diagnoses, agrees. He explains, “When someone gets cancer, the whole family gets cancer. Caregivers need to have special care for themselves. How do they do that? They need to be able to get counsel and have a place where they can share feelings.”

Ryan serves on the N.C. Cancer Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Board’s Steering Committee for Caregiver Conversations. “I was very interested in getting a group started for caregivers. I do this to honor the memory of Jane.

“Coming from not having this opportunity when Jane was sick to being here, hearing what people say, listening to people interacting and learning from each other is heartening. Caregivers in many situations are ignored. We think we’re doing something pretty special here, making this service available for caregivers. There are resources now in the new cancer hospital: massages, counseling, so many ways to help caregivers.”

Fellow Steering Committee member Larry Hutchison agrees. “When my best friend was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in the summer of 2010, I felt an immediate need to help him and his family. As I learned how to become a caregiver during the many visits to the N.C. Cancer Hospital, it became obvious from having many discussions with other caregivers that they too had multiple concerns and issues both short and long term. These caregivers needed help!

“During the long days of infusion, chemotherapy, and finally the BMT, I began doing research on caregivers in general. Based on the potential needs in the future in the US; approximately 2/3 of our population will at some time in their life have the potential to be a caregiver, a staggering number.

“During our caregiver support group sessions, it becomes so evident of the many needs and support the caregivers face.”

One support group member says, “ I like sharing with other people who are going through similar situations. You can share things with one another that you can’t share with the person you’re caring for because you don’t want to burden them or have them feel like they’re a burden to you.”

Another support group members adds, “After being a caregiver for a number of years for my spouse, we realized that in order to reduce the tensions and some of the activities that go on from constant caregiving that I needed to pay a little more attention to how to be a caregiver and as a caregiver to take care of myself. I needed to communicate with other caregivers and see what kind of problems they had and how they related to my problems. This group is helpful to me.”

Kathy Roundtree concurs. “In this group, caregivers have the chance to share the burdens they carry, and, as the proverb states, ‘A burden shared is a burden halved.’ They may get suggestions from others whose experience can benefit them. Caregivers can form new connections in the group that they may pursue outside the group for further support. The group also offers caregivers a time to focus on themselves and their own needs, something they often find difficult while trying to meet the needs of the patient.”

She adds, “Research shows that patients have better outcomes when their caregivers do better, and research also indicates that caregivers sometimes have lower quality of life than patients if not receiving support.”

Larry Hutchison concludes, “At UNC, we can develop world- class caregiver support group guidelines. We have the talent, passion, resources, and leadership to make this happen, and then perhaps this proven “Caregiver Model” can be adopted worldwide.”

The support group meets the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month at 10 am in the Patient and Family Resource Center. The group is organized by Angela Ford, MSW, LCSW, who is a case manager with the N.C. Cancer Hospital, and Loretta Muss, coordinator of the N.C. Cancer Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Board.